Braelyn's Journey 1: The Beginning
by BlackStormNomad
Summary: Full-ish summary inside.
1. Prologue

**Hello readers! Once again, I'm stepping out of my domain of Sonic the Hedgehog to try my hand at The Forgotten Realms. My parents are big-time fans of the setting, and when I turned 14, they encouraged me to read the books. Now that I'm 17, I've read almost all of the books in the setting and have loved them! My favorite would have to be the Drizzt books, but I also love Shandril's saga and The Cleric Quintet. Anyway, this story is about my character, Braelyn Hallowcloak, and the hardships she faces. I won't say too much **

**Disclaimer: I only own Braelyn and her parents.**

_Prologue_

It was dark.

That was the only thought going through a young woman's mind as she ran towards a back alley. It was the dead of night, so she could hardly see in front of her own face. She was only aided by a tiny torch, which she fought to keep lit from the pouring rain. She glanced hopelessly at her companion, whose torch had been deemed useless from the start. He smiled apologetically at her and reached for her hand. She squeezed his hand and kept running, all the while glancing at the bundle of blankets in her companion's arms.

"Wait… I must see her. Please," she said as she came to a gradual halt in the alley.

"Darling, we must keep moving. They will be on us soon, and if we want the little one to be safe, we have to head for Ellienne's. We can't afford delays. I promise you, when we get there, you can look at her," her companion said.

The woman moaned softly, but complied with his wishes. The man led her to the very back of the alley, to what seemed to be a dead end. He glanced around before tapping on the lowest brick. They waited for what seemed to be eternity before the bricks slid aside, revealing a secret passage. Still holding his companion's hand, he went down the passage and smiled with relief when he heard the bricks close behind them.

They walked straight for several minutes before they came into a room with boxes and stuffed toys. The man reached up and knocked on the lowered roof. A couple of minutes passed before the door in the roof opened, revealing a startled elven female. For a split second, she examined the newfound people before a small smile crossed her lips. "You made it. Both of you."

"And the little one," the man said as he and the woman climbed a ladder and joined the elf.

"Good, good… they shouldn't have any idea that you came here," the elf said as she embraced her friends.

"I hope not…" the woman trailed off as the man offered the bundle of blankets to her. With a sudden content gleam in her eyes, she held the bundle close. She adjusted the blankets to reveal a tiny female face. She had rosy cheeks and dark emerald eyes that were wide open. She had a tiny nose and a tiny mouth, but she seemed perfect to the woman. Tears glistened in her eyes as she hugged the child. The man wrapped his arms around both of them, closing his eyes as he listened to them breathe. The elf stood back, capturing the moment of the little family with her mind.

The man finally pulled back and turned to the elf. "Ellienne… we can't tell you how thankful we are. You're putting yourself and Kerrej, not to mention the rest of those kids you look after, at risk for us. We-"

"Hush, old friend. You know that I'd do anything for you both, as well as the child. However, time is growing short. You must hurry and get out of here," Ellienne said softly.

The woman moaned again and clutched the child closer. The young one looked up at her curiously before she emitted a small wail. The woman froze at hearing the wail. "Ellienne… she's hungry…"

"I'll take care of her. You two need to get out of here," Ellienne said firmly.

With reluctance, the woman handed the child over to her friend. Ellienne held her carefully before fully looking at her friends. "Both of you… be careful. You hear me?"

"We will. Goodbye, Ellienne," the man said as he embraced the elf.

The woman said nothing. Her eyes were locked on the girl struggling in Ellienne's arms. When she caught sight of Ellienne's expression, however, she gave up with a defeated sigh. The man reached for her hand again and the two headed for the door. Before the woman left, however, she turned back for one last glance of the child. Then she breathed three words before she disappeared into the darkness:

"Goodbye… Braelyn Hallowcloak…"

**So it's short as crap. Oh well, the next chapter will be a bit longer c: I also apologize that things aren't quite clear yet. I don't want to say a whole lot in case it spoils what is to come. See you next time, and please review! c:**


	2. Brief Childhood

**Hello readers! I am back with the next chapter of Braelyn's Journey 1: The Beginning! I know the prologue was short and things weren't really clear as to what was happening. Like I said, I didn't want to say too much in case it spoiled what is to come! Anyway, this chapter is set 10 years after Braelyn is left with Ellienne. Some stuff has happened since then, which will be explained this chapter. The chapter will also introduce some other characters! Let's get to it!**

**Disclaimer: I only own Braelyn, her parents, Ellienne, and Kerrej. Mathius and Vladimir originally belong to a friend of mine, but I'm making this story of the three (Braelyn, Mathius, and Vladimir) different from the one we (my friend and I) have right now, so they (Mathius and Vladimir) are kinda mine in this story. Confusing, I know, sorry.**

_Chapter One_

"Ay, my friends! I've found the freak of nature!"

The familiar words and the laughter that followed practically blasted her eardrums. The young girl chose to ignore the taunts, however. She had grown quite used to hearing them. After all, one couldn't help it when insults had been hurled at them nearly every day for six years.

"Oy, wench! I'm speaking to you!" the obnoxious voice snarled.

When she did not look up, a few seconds later, a rough hand grabbed the ends of her hair and yanked her head back, forcing her to look at a disgustingly familiar face. Sneering dark eyes stared down into her jade ones. The calmness of her expression made him angrier, and he spat on her face. She blinked as his saliva splashed onto her face, and then she reached a hand back to tug her hair free. She slowly stood up and faced him with that deadly calm still emanating from her. She wiped her face with the sleeve of her dress before she spoke.

"If I'm just a regular freak of nature, then that makes you the king of the freaks, Vladimir," she said as she crossed her arms.

Several onlookers whistled. The boy, Vladimir, scowled. "Better to be a king than a peasant. At least I have friends and _parents!_"

"Yeah, parents who dumped you the first chance they got," the girl said as she turned on her heel and walked into the forest.

She heard him spluttering for a good distance or so before all of the sound died away. Once she was confident that no one had followed her, she started running further into the forest. When she arrived at an aged maple tree, she threw herself against the trunk and breathed heavily. She tried to avoid the tears, but two lone drops escaped her eyes.

It was the same thing every day. Vladimir and his little gang of worshippers always picked on her. They made fun of the way she looked; she was too "undeveloped" for a girl barely ten summers. They made fun of the way she talked; her voice had a bit of an accent that the other kids hadn't heard of. They teased her about the way she acted; she didn't play with the other girls and refused to act like a maid or a proper lady. They even said things about her name.

"Braelyn?"

The young girl hiccupped as she looked up. A boy her age with dark hair and smoky-grey eyes stood over her, looking at her with obvious concern. After a second or two, he knelt down beside her and stretched his legs. "What's wrong?"

"Your brother is an arse, Mathius," Braelyn said quietly as she rubbed her eyes.

Mathius winced, and Braelyn felt a little pang of quilt. Mathius was her only friend in the hellhole that was the orphanage. Ever since they could walk and talk, they had been extremely close. They might have been close before that, but they had practically been there since birth and they couldn't remember a thing before turning three. The unfortunate side to their friendship was that Mathius was Vladimir's twin brother, and Vlad hated Braelyn's guts.

"I know," Mathius said after nearly a moment of silence, "and I've tried to talk to him. He just won't see reason. I think he's jealous of all the time I spend with you."

"I don't care what reason he has," Braelyn spat as tears started sliding down her cheeks, "that remark about my parents was going too far."

Mathius drew the crying girl into a close embrace and sighed. He and Vlad had been fortunate enough to know their parents. They came to visit whenever they passed through town. Braelyn, on the other hand, had no clue who her parents were or where they were from. No one had ever come to see her. As far as a lot of people were concerned, she had just appeared one night in a bundle of blankets. While the brothers and the rest of the children at the orphanage had some inkling of their family history, Braelyn had none. She tried not to let it bother her, but the other children, especially Vladimir, used it to their advantage.

"I'll try to talk to him again," he promised as Braelyn pulled away.

His friend shook her head. "Don't waste your energy… it's a lost cause."

Mathius opened his mouth to protest, but Braelyn shushed him by putting a finger to his lips. "I'll be okay, Mathius… after all, I have you by my side…"

The boy's cheeks quickly colored as his friend removed her finger from his lips. Unlike the other children, he didn't share their views of her. He liked the fact that she was different from the others. While the other girls cooked, cleaned, became maids when there were visitors, kept their hair long and in a ponytail, wore dresses, and acted quite proper, Braelyn made messes, talked with the visitors, and played outside in muddy waters and the forest behind the orphanage. She kept her hair really short. She had a bit of a temper and often got in trouble for speaking her mind. She was usually quick with words and very smart. She could also be a very sweet soul when it was just the two of them. Unfortunately, she had to wear a dress as it was the only thing that fit her. She had managed to hack a good deal of it off, so it only reached her knees.

"If you insist… Brae? Do you mind singing to me?" he asked.

"Of course not," she replied as she stood up and disappeared behind the great tree.

She reappeared a few seconds later with a _kitar_ in her hands. She claimed her seat next to her friend and ran her fingers across the strings. The instrument emitted a lovely sound, bringing a smile to both faces.

"Anything in particular?" she asked.

"Whatever you want," he replied.

She smiled before turning back to her instrument. She started playing the opening chord to an old children's ballad about a young lass in Waterdeep who ran away to find her stolen treasure. The ballad was in Elvish, but Braelyn had been taught the language by Ellienne, the female owner of the orphanage, and her husband Kerrej. When she began to sing, the forest seemed to fall into a deeper silence. Mathius listened closely, understanding some bits and having to guess the meaning of others. After a minute or two, however, he could only focus on his friend's voice and instrument. They soothed him greatly.

When she finished, he clapped delightedly. "I've said this before, dear Braelyn… you have a lot of talent."

His friend blushed. "It's nothing special…"

"Don't start that again. You will be someone great. A bard, perhaps," Mathius suggested.

Braelyn's eyes twinkled. "Maybe… but what about you? I can't fathom any line of work without you."

"Maybe I'll be your bodyguard. Or maybe I'll become a warrior and we'll work together, conquering dragons and claiming vast amounts of treasure," the boy said excitedly.

The girl couldn't help but laugh. "That would be a sight to see."

"What do you say? Let's swear right here that when we're older, we'll work together. No matter what the job is, we'll do it together," he said as he held his hand out.

Braelyn's eyes gleamed as she grasped her friend's hand. With a grin, Mathius brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles. She did likewise, her smile radiating how content she felt.

**-XxXxX-**

"Ay, children! It is time to wash up for supper!" an attractive elven woman called out to the fifteen children behind the orphanage.

"Yes, Mother Ellienne!" the children chorused as they scrambled to get inside.

Braelyn and Mathius were at the back of the group, keeping quiet about their spare moments in the forest. Nonetheless, Mathius reached for Braelyn's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She smiled at him and returned the gesture before pulling away and assuming a blank expression as Vladimir came over to them.

"Hey, bro. I was looking for you earlier. 'Course, I should have figured that you were with that," he spat as he glared disdainfully at Braelyn.

Anger flashed in the girl's jade eyes. Her promise to Mathius had brought a feeling of contentment, and now Vladimir was ruining it. She'd had enough. Without warning, she shoved him away, causing him to fall flat on his back. A yelp of surprise escaped the boy's lips as he hit the ground.

The rest of the children, along with Ellienne, turned around. "What's going on back there?" Ellienne demanded.

"Braelyn shoved me!" Vlad wailed as he stood up.

"Vladimir was making fun of me… again!" Braelyn retaliated.

Ellienne rubbed her temple exasperatedly. "Ye, Gods… Vladimir, how many times have I told you to leave Braelyn alone? And Braelyn, how many times have I told you to not let him rile you up? The two of you will be on clean-up duty tonight. Now inside, all of you!"

"Yes, Mother Ellienne," the rest of the children chorused while Braelyn and Vlad groaned.

Vlad shot Braelyn a look of pure venom as he hurried to catch up with the others. Braelyn waited until everyone was facing away from her before she gave Vlad a rude gesture. Mathius was shaking his head as she turned to him.

"Honestly, Brae. What am I to do with you?" he asked as a slight smile curled his lips.

"I haven't a clue. You were the one who agreed to be my friend in the first place," she quipped.

"Tis very true. Let's go," he said as he started walking ahead.

Braelyn paused for a few seconds, watching her friend. The slight breeze moved easily through his dark hair. He walked with an air of confidence, not arrogance like his brother. She smiled slightly, grateful to have him not only as a friend, but as a brother she never had. Shaking her head, the girl followed him into the orphanage. They found everyone else sitting at the massive table in the main room. One of the maids was spooning stew into large bowls while another maid was serving Ellienne's home-made bread.

"Ay, you two, get to your seats!" Ellienne ordered as she accepted some spiced wine from a third maid.

The children nodded and sat down at the table, lucky enough to be sitting next to each other and away from Vladimir. It didn't stop the boy from sending Braelyn another look of hatred, though.

Braelyn's eyes flashed angrily. "I'm going to end up killing him during clean-up duty," she growled under her breath to Mathius.

He shrugged. "Probably."

"Be quiet you two, Mother Ellienne is about to start the prayer," one of the older girls, Sarsha, hissed under her breath.

The two immediately fell silent as the elven woman began thanking Corellon Larethian, the patron god of the elves, for another fruitful day and for the abundance of food that was sitting on the table. She then asked the god to keep an eye on the fifteen children in her orphanage.

"She never has much faith in us," Mathius murmured to Braelyn as everyone began to eat.

"She's got thirteen kids, including you, and then me and your brother," she replied through a mouthful of bread.

He nodded, concurring her point. "And she doesn't ask to watch specific people…"

His friend shrugged as she continued to stuff her mouth with bread. Mathius watched with blatant amusement. "Hungry?"

"Yes," she mumbled as she swallowed her food.

Sarsha looked over with disgust. "That's disgusting, Braelyn. You're such a boy."

"Sorry that I don't want to be a boring lady," the younger girl shot back between gulps of water.

Sarsha stiffened and several other girls gasped. "You won't get anywhere in life if you don't learn how to be proper."

"Yeah, whatever. All it will get is men marrying you for money and looks. As for me, I'm going to have an actual job that will take me places and let me meet all sorts of people," Braelyn declared.

"You can't possibly be thinking of being an adventurer?" Sarsha laughed harshly. "You have no skills whatsoever, except for being an annoying freak. You wouldn't last a night as an adventurer!"

Braelyn's eyes blazed. Without warning she stood up, causing the table to move slightly. Sarsha shrieked as Braelyn's fist met her nose with a bit of force. She covered her nose with one hand and tried to slap the younger girl with her other hand. Braelyn ducked as Sarsha's hand came at her, then she reached up and grabbed the older girl's wrist. She grabbed Sarsha around the waist with her free arm and bent her other arm back. Sarsha screamed as her shoulder was nearly bent at an odd angle.

"Braelyn! What are you doing?" Ellienne demanded.

The girl ignored her. She held an imaginary dagger to Sarsha's throat, listening as the older girl whimpered. "Slice… you're dead."

With that, she released Sarsha and shoved her to the floor. She glared at the other inhabitants of the room before storming off upstairs. Mathius immediately stood up and followed me, mumbling a quick apology to Ellienne as he left. When he got to his friend's room, she was sitting on her bed with her chin in her hands. She looked quite frustrated as Mathius came closer. He sat on the bed beside her hesitantly, fearing that she might accidentally lash out at him. Braelyn's fingers twitched briefly before she inhaled and exhaled sharply.

"Stupid bitch," she cursed softly as she turned to Mathius.

The boy smiled sympathetically. Braelyn sighed again before she continued. "I don't understand why they always pick on me… I've never done anything to them…"

"They don't understand you," Mathius said firmly. "You're different from them, and it intimidates them. By picking on you, they feel like they still have control of everything."

The girl snorted. "That's stupid."

"People are stupid," he countered.

Even Braelyn couldn't stop the smile that curled her lips at her friend's statement. Then a brief knock was heard at the door. "Braelyn, it's Kerrej. May I come in?"

"Sure," the girl sighed, expectant of a lecture.

The door slowly opened, revealing their "adoptive father". Unlike his wife, Kerrej was a head taller than most elves. He had flaming-red hair and eyes like the sky. Most were surprised to learn that he had a soft soul, despite his usual stern expression. He wore a dark green leather shirt with mud-splattered leggings and moccasins fashioned from sheepskin.

"Well met, young child. Mathius," he said softly.

The two bowed their heads politely. Kerrej emitted a small sigh as he sat on the floor in front of them. "Braelyn, what were you thinking? You know that those kids will say anything to wind you up."

"I'm sorry, Father! But this has been going on ever since I can remember. I am always their target, and I'm sick of it!" Braelyn yelled, hating how sudden the tears came.

Kerrej waited patiently as the girl's tears streaked across her cheeks. Once she had wiped her eyes with her sleeve, he spoke again. "I understand that you're angry-"

"If you did, you would have done something about it already!" Braelyn interrupted.

Kerrej sighed. "Child, we cannot do something every time they decide to pick on you."

"So you're just going to let them continue picking on me? Some father you are!" Braelyn yelled as she turned around and faced the wall.

Mathius looked uneasy as he turned to their "father", who was staring at Braelyn's back. "Um… Father? May I handle this…?"

The elf nodded. "Of course…"

With a bow, he left. Mathius waited until the footsteps faded away before he tapped his friend's shoulder. "Brae…?"

"Please, Mathius… I wish to be left alone," she whispered before drawing her knees to her chest and resting her chin on top of them.

The boy felt his heart slump a little. Nonetheless, he respected her request. He quickly gave her a hug and left the room without another word, leaving the poor girl to her misery.

**-XxXxX-**

Later that night, Mathius woke up from an uneasy sleep. He yawned and rubbed his eyes before he looked around. Vladimir was asleep in his own bed, and one of Ellienne's cats was curled up next to him. The light in the hallway was dim, meaning that everyone else was in bed at that point. Since he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep for a while, he decided to go to Braelyn's room. It was likely that she would be awake. He glanced at his brother before he tiptoed into the hallway and headed for the stairs.

Using his sharp eyes, he made his way up to the girls' hallway without making a sound. He headed down the hallway to the very end, where Braelyn's room was located. To his surprise, he found her door completely closed. She usually left her door open a little bit so he could easily slip in and visit her. He hesitantly reached for the doorknob and turned it, aware of the wood in his grasp. The door opened soundlessly, revealing a darkened room. This wasn't unusual, considering how Braelyn had to keep the lights off or Ellienne would throw a fit. However, Braelyn usually had a tiny candle sitting next to her bed. Tonight, the room was completely dark.

"Braelyn?" he whispered.

There was no answer. Frowning, Mathius quietly closed the door and searched for the nearest source of light. He found a single candlestick on a bronze candle dish and a box of matches. He lit the candle with a match and then blew the match out before his eyes adjusted to the light. He aimed the candle towards Braelyn's bed and nearly dropped it in surprise.

Braelyn wasn't in bed.

Panicking, Mathius lit another candle. The room was suddenly filled with more light. Yet Braelyn was nowhere to be seen. The room was completely empty.

"Braelyn? Where are you?" he whispered.

No answer. The room was indeed empty. Thinking that maybe she had gone out into the forest, Mathius turned towards the window. As the light of the candle passed over his friend's bed, a brief flash of white caught his eye. He glanced towards the bed again. Nestled between the blanket and the pillow was a piece of paper with familiar curled writing on it. Curious, he sat on the bed, picked it up, and began to read it.

_Dearest Mathius,_

_What can I say other than I'm sorry? You are the greatest friend I could have ever asked for. Instead of being an arse like your brother, you chose to befriend me and defend me, as well as comfort me. Thank you. However, the time has come for me to say goodbye. I cannot bear to be here any longer, for I will surely go insane if I keep dealing with everyone in this hellhole. You can mostly blame your brother for this, but nearly everyone else has played a part in not helping me. I wish I could bring you with me, but you have family tying you here. I, on the other hand, don't. This is another reason as to why I must leave: surely I wasn't simply placed in this world without a lineage! I need to find out who I am, and why I am here. I'm sure our paths will cross again someday, but until then, keep me in your heart._

_I love you, best friend._

_Braelyn_

The words stung him as he dropped the paper onto the floor. Braelyn… his best friend… was gone. She had given no clue as to where she was headed, so he couldn't possibly try and catch up with her.

"She's gone, isn't she?"

A voice in front of him made the boy jump. He whirled around to see Kerrej standing in the doorway with a candle of his own. "F…Fa-Kerrej…"

The elf came into the room and peered over the note. After a moment of silence, he spoke. "I should have realized… that it would come to this. Mathius, this is indeed my fault. I don't see how you could ever forgive me. And after I promised them, too…"

"Who?" Mathius asked suspiciously.

Kerrej realized that he had said too much. Thinking quickly, he replied "Just two people I know."

"What do they have to do with Braelyn?" Mathius asked.

Kerrej inwardly panicked. "Um… well…"

"What do they have to do with her?" Mathius yelled.

Eyes widening, the elf clapped a hand over the boy's mouth. "Shhh! All right, I'll tell you. Just keep quiet!"

The boy glared at him. Kerrej wasn't paying attention, however. He had his ears pricked towards the door for any sudden sound. When none came, he removed his hand and faced Mathius again. "Okay… well… the truth is… Braelyn wasn't just dumped here one night, like she thinks she was. I know- well, knew- her parents. They entrusted me and Ellienne with her."

Mathius's eyes widened. "What…?"

"I cannot explain it all to you. You are much too young. All I can say now is I'm sorry. This is my fault," the elf sighed as he stood up and left the room with drawn-out steps.

When he was alone once more, Mathius looked at Braelyn's note again. Her handwriting sounded like her voice in his head. It was all he could use in order to visualize her because she had left him. Subconsciously, he felt a tear slide down his cheek.

_Oh, Braelyn… how could you just leave me here? What happened to that promise we made today? Did that even cross your mind as you wrote this note? No matter what, I would have gone with you,_ Mathius thought.

He turned his attention to the starry sky outside. _May Helm watch over you until we meet again, Braelyn… on everything, I swear that I'll find you again…_

**Whew! This took me forever to type (mostly because I'm lazy.) Anyway, we meet Braelyn's best friend, her worst enemy, and we get a little more into the character of Ellienne and her husband, Kerrej. But Braelyn has run off, due to the on-going torture of Vladimir and nearly every other child in the orphanage! What is Mathius going to do without her? And how will Kerrej make it up to him? And just where DID Braelyn go? We'll find out next time!**


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